Tag: Jack Campbell

Film Review: Detroit Lions banged up defense does itself no favors with missed tackles and poor alignment

Film Review: Detroit Lions banged up defense does itself no favors with missed tackles and poor alignment in the loss to the Commanders

It’s no secret that the Detroit Lions loss to the Washington Commanders was shocking. Considering the way the Lions played for most of the season and getting home-field advantage in the playoffs, they seemed destined for a deep playoff run.

Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders had other plans.

Despite being a rookie quarterback on the road, Daniels shredded the Lions. He was calm, cool and collected under pressure. Despite facing a 36% pressure rate on his dropbacks, Daniels completed 77.8% of his passes under pressure.

One of the strengths of the Commanders offense against the Lions was getting rid of the football quickly. They found the weak spots in the Lions defense and exposed them with quick passes such as slants, hitches and designed screens. When the time was right, they would take deep shots downfield. Let’s dive into some tape to look at how the Lions defense picked the wrong time to play their worst football on the season.

 

Starting with the missed tackles, it was less than ideal to sit and watch this happen over and over again for the Lions defense. Especially since the Lions graded out as the top tackling defense in the NFL this season, per PFF. They earned a 71.7 overall grade this year.

Looking at the clip above, the Lions defense is on a key down and distance of 3rd and 14. If they get a stop, they get off the field and put the ball in the hands of their high-powered offense. However, that quickly changes when Brian Branch (DB #32) misses an open-field tackle.

If Branch would have made the initial tackle, it would have been a gain between 4-to-6 yards. Once he missed the tackle, an additional gain of 6 or 7 yards happened, and this set the Commanders up with a very manageable 4th and 1.

 

Staying on the discussion of missed tackles, we move ahead in the game. This time, the Commanders are faced with 2nd-and-10 on the Lions 25-yard line. The Commanders align in a twins left formation out of shotgun with their ’22’ personnel (two running backs and two tight ends).

Prior to the snap, Jayden Daniels puts running back Austin Ekeler into jet-motion. Faking the hand-off to Ekeler, Daniels looks downfield but notices that the deep routes are covered quickly. With that, he checks the ball down to Ekeler.

Despite catching the ball before the line-of-scrimmage, Ekeler is still able to turn this into a much bigger gain than it should have been. Much of that is due to a missed tackle from Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold. As you can see, Arnold gets hit with a juke move and six yards were gained after the catch.

If Arnold made the tackle, it would have set up 3rd-and-10, but instead, this became a very manageable 3rd down for the Commanders. Essentially, it became two-down territory for them because they were more than willing to go for it on 4th down.

 

Moving on from the missed tackles, let’s take a look at the poor alignments from the Lions defense. There was not a worse alignment than the play above from the Lions this season. Looking at that play, the Commanders come out with a trips bunch formation to the left of the ball.

With 8 defenders in the box, it’s clear that the Lions are worried about stopping the run. Which, in most cases, would make sense if the quarterback couldn’t throw or didn’t make adjustments prior to the snap. However, Jayden Daniels has shown that he could throw and make those adjustments all season.

Against the bunch formation, the Lions essentially have one defender there (poor Kindle Vildor). Coming down late was safety Ifeatu Melifonwu, but the Lions were still outnumbered (3×2), and it’s a tough task for safety Kerby Joseph to pursue from the middle of the field. You can see that after the catch.

Once the ball is snapped, you can see disaster was set to happen for the Lions defense. Daniels fired this pass to wide receiver Terry McLaurin on a designed screen. With both perimeter defenders getting blocked, he was able to slip between them and from there, he was off to the races. This led to a 58-yard touchdown that was scored in one minute and 21 seconds. The Lions went from having a 14-10 lead to being down 17-14 in the snap of a finger.

Overall, it’s all very confusing from the Lions defense. Everyone is destined to have an off day, but this was the worst time of the season to have that off day. It looked like the Lions weren’t prepared for any type of no-huddle or high-tempo style of play from the Commanders. They were constantly caught off guard and with the amount of injuries sustained on the defense, the Lions were substituting on almost every play.

While it kept guys fresh and put certain defenders on the field for certain types of plays, the Lions were still lost coming out of their defensive huddle. It shows with the missed tackles and the missed alignments from their defense. Certainly, their offense did them no favors by turning the football over five times (one for a touchdown) but their defense allowed 481 total yards.

Additionally, they never sacked Daniels and they allowed the Commanders to go 4-for-4 in the red zone. Prior to halftime, the Commanders offense scored 14 points on two offensive drives in 3 minutes and 36 seconds…combined.

That just can’t happen, especially for a team that entered the playoffs as Super Bowl favorites. The regular season was great to watch. There’s certainly talent on this Lions team, including their defense. They just picked a bad day to have a bad day.

Breaking down how the Lions fared in AP’s All-Pro voting

Breaking down how the Lions fared in AP’s All-Pro voting, which saw 13 different Lions get at least one vote

The Lions ended up being well-represented on this season’s Associated Press All Pro teams. Four Lions were named to the First Team, including wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, right tackle Penei Sewell, safety Kerby Joseph and punter Jack Fox.

Plenty more Lions either made the Second Team or at least received some votes towards All Pro. We’ll take a look here at how all the Lions that received votes fared. The full voting results can be found here.

Starting at wide receiver, St. Brown was one of the three wide receivers to make the First Team, along with Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase and Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson. St. Brown received 40 out of 50 first-place votes and totaled 130 points. First-place votes received three points with second-place votes worth one point. Fellow wide receiver Jameson Williams also received one second-place vote.

Frank Ragnow was named Second Team All Pro at center. Chiefs center Creed Humphrey was selected to the First Team. Ragnow received four first-place votes and 35 total votes. Humphrey ran away with the vote, getting 44 first-place votes.

Kevin Zeitler finished fourth among right guards with 26 points (six first-place votes). Broncos guard Quinn Meinerz was named to the First Team with 74 points and 22 first-place votes and Falcons guard Chris Lindstrom was named to the Second Team with 60 points and 15 first-place votes.

Sewell is the First Team right tackle after scoring 119 points and 35 first-place votes, beating out Philadelphia’s Lane Johnson, who landed on the Second Team with 76 points and 15 first-place votes.

Despite only playing five games this season, Aidan Hutchinson received one second-place vote at edge rusher. Hutchinson was dominant in those five games, recording 7.5 sacks, including 4.5 in Week 2 against the Buccaneers. Myles Garrett (Browns) and Trey Hendrickson (Bengals) were named to the First Team with T.J. Watt (Steelers), Nik Bonitto (Broncos) and Andrew Van Ginkel (Vikings) on the Second Team. Bonitto and Van Ginkel finished tied with 18 points, so they both were named to the Second Team with Watt.

Two linebackers earned votes. Jack Campbell scored 16 points and earned two first-place votes. Alex Anzalone, despite missing most of the second half of the season, also garnered a second-place vote. Zack Baun (Eagles), Fred Warner (49ers) and Roquan Smith (Ravens) earned First-Team honors, while the Second Team linebackers are Frankie Luvu (Commanders), Bobby Wagner (Commanders) and Zaire Franklin (Colts).

Joseph led all safeties with 120 points and 37 first-place votes to land on the First Team with Packers safety Xavier McKinney. Kyle Hamilton (Ravens) and Budda Baker (Cardinals) were named to the second team. Brian Branch ended up the first safety out, finishing fifth among the position with 19 points. Baker had 38 points and seven first-place votes, for reference.

Fox just beat out Jaguars punter Logan Cooke for the First Team honors at punter. Both received 15 first-place votes, so it came down to second-place votes. Fox received 17 to Cooke’s 13.

Kalif Raymond, even with missing time due to injury, landed on the Second Team at kick returner, scoring 60 points and 11 first-place votes. Marvin Mims Jr. of Denver earned First-Team honors with 114 points and 35 first-place votes.

Last but not least, Hogan Hatten earned a second-place vote at the long snapper position. Not bad for an undrafted rookie!

Film room: Detroit Lions defense made plays despite some struggles and miscues

Film room: Detroit Lions defense made plays despite some struggles and miscues against the 49ers

At this point in the year, it’s been well documented that the Detroit Lions defense has been shredded due to injuries. Whether it be a season-ending injury in the summer to John Cominsky or during the season with Aidan Hutchinson, the list of injuries is a long one for Detroit.

Since we saw linebacker Alex Anzalone go down with a broken forearm in week 11 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, we’ve seen the Lions defense regress. They’ve allowed 30+ points in 3 out of their last 4 games and now have the 31st-ranked pass defense in the NFL.

On Monday night against the 49ers, we saw those struggles continue as 49ers QB Brock Purdy was able to go 27-for-35 with 377 yards and three touchdowns. Purdy did end up throwing two interceptions to Kerby Joseph but overall, he was able to shred the Lions defense through the air.

Contributing to that, we saw the Lions linebackers struggle against the pass.  The group of Ben Niemann, Jack Campbell and Jalen Reeves-Maybin gave up 10 receptions on 10 targets in coverage for 162 yards and one touchdown vs. the 49ers. Despite some of the struggles, the Lions defense was able to make the plays that they needed to make. Let’s dive into some tape to look at the good and the bad of this Detroit defense from Monday night against the 49ers.

 

Staying on topic with the Lions linebackers, we’ll take a look at this play above, where linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin gets beat on a wheel route from 49ers RB Isaac Guerendo.

On this play, the Lions come out in their nickel package on defense against a trips right formation from the 49ers offense. Once the ball is snapped, the Lions will have one safety rotate back to the middle of the field and another will buzz down.

As the play develops, it appears that the Lions are playing in man coverage and in the process, Reeves-Maybin gets flat-footed, then turns his body back to the quarterback. This gives Guerendo plenty of separation. As Reeves-Maybin tries to gain ground and get back to the running back, the ball is already thrown and the pass is completed.

 

This next play is an interesting one from the Lions defense because I think there’s miscues across the board. Looking at the play above, the Lions come out with a single high safety on defense and it’s a clear indication that they’re running a Cover-1 man look on defense.

Prior to the snap, the 49ers put a tight end in motion. Once the ball is snapped, you can see that both linebackers (Jack Campbell and Ben Niemann) flow down towards the running back and tight end. However, the downside is that defensive back Brian Branch also flows down with them. This puts three defenders on two potential pass catchers and it leaves the middle of the field wide open.

This gives 49ers QB Brock Purdy a clear passing lane on the spot route that’s run in the middle of the field. It leads to a first down and helps keep the 49ers offense in rhythm. Cleaning up these types of miscues will be very important for the Lions defense as they get ready for their playoff push.

 

Adding to what I mentioned earlier, the Detroit defense has gotten statistically worse since linebacker Alex Anzalone went down with an injury. Looking at the Lions defensive DVOA, it hasn’t been pretty for the last four or five games.

Looking at the chart above, the Lions have had five straight games with defense worse than average. Specifically, the last three games have been a season-worst for the Detroit defense.

 

All of this said, the Lions were able to force two turnovers when it mattered most on Monday night. Looking at the play above, the Lions come out with a single-high safety again on defense. That safety is Kerby Joseph, and with how far off the ball he is, it’s a clear indication that some type of man coverage is going to be run on defense.

Once the ball is snapped, the receiver at the bottom of the screen is running a slant and despite 6 or 7 yards of separation between the safety and receiver, this ball is intercepted. Joseph does a great job reading this play the entire way and despite the separation, he’s able to trigger downhill fast enough to pick this pass off.

Getting this ball back to the Lions offense allowed them to chew up over four minutes of clock but most importantly, it put the Lions up 12 points with just under three minutes left in the game.

Overall, the Lions defense is doing just well enough but forcing two interceptions on Monday night really made the difference. They’re slowly getting players back on offense, defense and special teams so that’ll make a difference.

However, the key thing for the Lions moving forward is cleaning up some of these miscues that keep occurring on passing downs. Furthermore, the Lions defense is starting to become predictable with the alignment of their safeties. Single high safeties tend to mean Cover 3 or Cover 1 and with how they like to run man coverage, teams really start to key on that.

Some adjustments moving forward should be more two-high safety looks from the defense. This will allow the Lions defense to better disguise their Cover 1 or Cover 3 defense and it’ll make it easier for them whenever they run a Cover 2 defense.

Aaron Glenn praises Jack Campbell’s development in one specific area

Campbell has improved across the board on the field in Year 2, but Glenn is most impressed with something bigger

Jack Campbell has developed into one of the NFL’s best off-ball linebackers in his second season. The Lions’ first-round pick in 2023 moved inside full-time for the 2024 campaign, and it’s fit him like a glove in the middle of coordinator Aaron Glenn’s aggressive defense.

Campbell has improved in virtually every aspect of his game from his up-and-down rookie season. From short-range coverage to pass rush effectiveness to missed tackle percentage, Campbell has taken a step forward in Year 2.

Yet when asked this week about where he thought Campbell has improved the most, Glenn went to the more intangible aspect of No. 46’s game.

“His ability to communicate across the board in every that we do,” Glenn stated. “And that’s the number one thing as a MIKE linebacker, make sure that we’re in the right situation, no matter what the situation is, just like a quarterback. He’s the quarterback of our defense right now.”

Glenn went on to cite Campbell’s exceptional practice habits as a reason why. Campbell has also come out of his shell a little with a more forceful personality, too.

“He’s a damn good player for us and I keep saying this, he’s a true MIKE linebacker. For him to stand in front of a group of men, the way they respect him is unreal, and you see it, and I’m sure the players talk about that too,” Glenn said admiringly. “He’s a man’s man, he understands what we’re trying to do, and he continues to try to get better.”

Dan Campbell sees Malcolm Rodriguez and Jack Campbell taking on bigger roles

Lions coach Dan Campbell sees Malcolm Rodriguez and Jack Campbell taking on bigger roles with Alex Anzalone’s injury

As the season continues, the Lions defense seems to be getting thinner and thinner amid injuries. The trend continued last week when linebacker Alex Anzalone broke his forearm against the Jaguars; he will be out 6-8 weeks.

The Lions now have to fill a hole at linebacker, and Dan Campbell calls upon Malcolm Rodriguez.

“Yeah, it’s very important. I mean, he really does become somewhat the next man up,” Campbell said.

Rodriguez, a third-year man out of Oklahoma State, has made a name for himself in Detroit, becoming a fan favorite. So far throughout the season, he has tallied 16 solo tackles and two sacks in seven games after missing time with an injury of his own.

Alongside Rodriquez, Campbell looks to another young linebacker,  Jack Campbell, to take on a bigger role as well.

“I mean, he and Jack (Campbell) are going to take on the – Jack’s been playing with Alex in a heavy load, but it’s really Jack and Malcolm. I mean, those are the two that are – they’re going to take on the heaviest load of that whole room,” Campbell said.

It will be interesting to see how the two youngsters step up to the occasion and it is clear that Dan Campbell has high expectations for Rodriguez.

“He’ll be big for us and he’s going to be big the rest of the season, it doesn’t matter who we get back, we’re going to use him. He helps us there on defense and he helps us on special teams,” Campbell said.

David Long: What the Lions are getting in their new LB

Breaking down the game film and scouting report on new Lions LB David Long, signed to the practice squad to help replace Alex Anzalone

Despite demolishing the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, the Detroit Lions did receive some bad news regarding linebacker Alex Anzalone. It was confirmed yesterday that Anzalone will miss the remainder of the regular season with a broken forearm.

The injury occurred while Anzalone was making a tackle on Jaguars running back Travis Etienne with 2:32 left in the second quarter. As Etienne was getting near the sidelines, his left arm got caught between the running back and his teammate Brian Branch.

Fortunately, it does sound like Anzalone could return for the playoffs as he’s expected to only miss 6 – 8 weeks. To fill the void, the Lions will need players such as Malcolm Rodriguez and Jack Campbell to step up for the defense. In addition to that, the Lions signed linebacker David Long to their practice squad.

Rated as one of the best linebackers in football in 2023, Long being available was somewhat surprising last week. However, Long had lost his starting job on the Dolphins defense and he ended up being released on November 13, 2024.

Prior to playing a season and a half with the Dolphins, he had spent four seasons with the Tennessee Titans. Originally, he was drafted by the Titans in the 6th round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of West Virginia. Let’s dive into some film to see what the Lions are getting with linebacker David Long!

 

Starting with where I think Long could be best suited for Detroit and that would be whenever blitzing. As we know, the Lions have had to get creative in generating pressure with the loss of Aidan Hutchinson. Using different blitzes and line stunts, the Lions could get creative to get Long in the backfield.

Looking at the play above, you can see a clear blitz from Long (LB 11). He times the snap well and blitzes through the B-gap. In the process, he slips under the right tackle, who is trying to pull and kick him out. However, Long does a great job ripping underneath and making a tackle in the backfield.

Through the first four weeks of the season, Long was ranked 3rd in PFF’s tackle-for-loss rate database. In 65 run-defense snaps, he had earned a 6.15% tackle-for-loss rate. The hope for Detroit is that they can tap into some of what he was doing so well to start the season.

 

Staying with Long’s performance against the Bills from earlier this season, we go to my favorite play from him on tape. Through the four games that I watched, there were certainly some head scratching reads and plays from Long. However, the play above is a perfect example of Long playing with conviction and violence.

Looking at the play above, Long (LB 11) is aligned in a ’10’ (between guard and center) and he makes a great read. As he begins to trigger downhill, he’s met by Bills LT 73 Dion Dawkins. Rather than waiting for Dawkins to get square and seal him off, Long shocks and sheds the blocker.

As he creates separation, he’s able to see on either side of the blocker. Once he sees the running back make his cut, he slips underneath and makes a terrific tackle at the hole. This was textbook from Long, and the hope is the Lions can get him back to playing like that.

 

While the previous play was a great highlight, I do want to reiterate that it’s not all sunshine and rainbows when watching Long play. There are times that he looks hesitant, plays too slow or too fast or he simply just makes the wrong read.

When you’re a younger player, you can get away with that. However, when you’re a 6-year veteran and ranked as one of the top run defenders in the league over a period of time, it’s hard to justify bad performances when they stack up. That happens to be the case for David Long.

For example, when you look at the two clips posted above, we’ll start with the first one against Arizona. Long reads the zone blocks being executed by the Cardinals offensive line but as the play continues, he gets impatient and gets burned. Assuming that the running back is going to cut back, Long would have looked like a stud.

Instead, he looks somewhat foolish for trying to get around 3 players. He then goes for the tackle but instead of a good form tackle, he arm tackles and the running back continues up field from there.

Lastly, the second clip is against Jacksonville. Aligned in a ’20’ (head up over the guard), you can see Long’s initial steps go to his right. Much of that is due to him falling for the “eye candy” that is the pulling right guard. Fortunately, he recovers nicely due to his ability to change direction, get over the top and meet the running back in the C-gap.

So as you can see, there’s some pretty good play from Long and then there’s some head scratching plays. That tends to be the case for any player who ends up getting released during the middle of the season.

Early in the year against the Jaguars and Bills, it’s evident that Long was playing like his old self. However, he suffered a hamstring injury against the Seattle Seahawks in week 3 and he hasn’t looked right ever since. That could be causing him to play with that hesitation or that could be why he just looks slow on tape at times.

Fortunately, Long comes to a place like Detroit where they just get the best out of their players. They made it work with Charles Harris for two years. Defensive lineman John Cominsky looked like he was on his way out of the league but he’s been with the Lions for three seasons. It’s just how this team is coached and you better believe that David Long will be held to a high standard.

The Lions play the Indianapolis Colts this week and then have a quick turnaround to play the Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving. If I had to guess, it’s unlikely that we’ll see Long play for the Lions during those two games. However, we could see him suit up against the Green Bay Packers in three weeks or potentially the Buffalo Bills the game after that. Regardless, it’ll take some time for him to get adjusted to the Lions defensive scheme.

While the Lions continue to battle through injuries on defense, they still push forward to the best record in the NFL and NFC. By adding David Long, the Lions could certainly use him for that late season push.

Lions LB Jack Campbell gets a vote of confidence from Dan Campbell

Lions LB Jack Campbell gets a vote of confidence from Dan Campbell after the Week 2 loss to the Bucs

When talking to the media on Wednesday afternoon, Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell had been asked about a variety of things. From DJ Reader, the health of Marcus Davenport and everything in between, it was the usual Wednesday routine for the media and the Lions.

One thing that stood out was what Dan Campbell said about linebacker Jack Campbell. Drafted in the same class as Jahmyr Gibbs and Brian Branch, there’s been instances where Jack Campbell gets overlooked. However, there’s been plenty of positives from Campbell to start the year.

https://x.com/Lions/status/1836437538673725728

When asked from the media about the health of Alex Anzalone and the linebacker room, Dan Campbell said, “Jack’s proven himself. He continues to get better. He understands the defense, he communicates well, he’s gotten better in the pass game and is aggressive in the run game.”

Adding to that, he mentioned the possibility of Anzalone not being able to go and Dan Campbell followed up by saying, “I’ve got all the confidence in the world with Jack [Campbell] and really all those guys.”

https://twitter.com/RussNFLDraft/status/1836048211225858531

Through two games this season, Jack Campbell has played on 63% of the defensive snaps (79 total snaps) and it’s led to him having 13 total tackles. In addition to that, he’s also made 3 tackles for loss. According to Pro Football Reference, Campbell has allowed five receptions for 78 yards and one touchdown this season.

Getting more depth in pass drops is something he’ll need to work on but his ability to run sideline-to-sideline and stop the run is a big benefit to the defense. Keep monitoring the health status of linebacker Alex Anzalone for Sunday’s game in Arizona but rest assure, there’s confidence in Jack Campbell to get the job done if Anzalone can’t play.

[lawrence-related id=111973]

Lions LB coach says Jack Campbell already ‘at another level’ for his second season

Lions LB coach Kelvin Sheppard says Jack Campbell already ‘at another level’ for his second season and praised his offseason work

Kelvin Sheppard is a pretty demanding guy. The Detroit Lions linebackers coach was very demonstrative and verbose as a longtime NFL player, and he brings that same passion and energy to his coaching.

That is not second-year linebacker Jack Campbell’s style. Campbell is quiet and difficult to read from afar, something Sheppard has probably never been accused of on either count. Yet the coach is clearly enamored with the player and they’ve found a great balance in their divergent personalities.

Sheppard recently talked about how much Campbell has stepped up his game over the offseason. The Lions wanted more out of No. 46 in his second season after a mostly promising but occasionally frustrating rookie campaign, and he’s already delivering. Campbell was one of the standouts in OTAs and minicamp, where he received the lion’s share of first-team reps.

“It’s hard to get a full tell, obviously, physically on the linebacker position during this time of year due to the physical nature that we play, especially here, but he’s exceeded my expectations — which were already high,” Sheppard said during the recent OTAs. “He’s come back further along than where I expected.”

Sheppard continued, showing real appreciation for Campebell’s dedication to self-improvement and offseason work.

“I’m telling you, it’s at another level. This guy here’s operating like an eight-year vet as far as making the calls, how he sets the standard of how we practice as a defense, and I think other guys are starting to look towards him now.”

Sorting out the Lions linebacker room after addition of Ben Niemann

Sorting out the Detroit Lions linebacker depth chart after addition of Ben Niemann and release of Steele Chambers

The Detroit Lions officially added free agent linebacker Ben Niemann to the roster. The 28-year-old joins the Detroit LB corps in time for the final OTAs before the extended break into training camp in late July.

The Lions released undrafted rookie linebacker Steele Chambers to make room for Niemann. That move gives a pretty good indication of how the Lions view their newcomer and his role. It also makes for a good time to refresh the view of Detroit’s linebacker depth chart.

Starters

This probably deserves an asterisk because the Lions might be morphing back to playing three linebackers in the base defense more often than they have the past few seasons with Aaron Glenn as the defensive coordinator. They’ve shown that look more in minicamp and OTAs than at any other time since Glenn took over the defense, but it’s important to note that it’s still primarily just two off-ball linebackers in the vast majority of sets.

Alex Anzalone is coming off his best season, setting career highs in tackles (129), sacks (3), PDs (6), QB hits (12) and TFLs (7). He is also the emotional leader and nerve center of the defense.

Jack Campbell has moved up into the first-team reps next to Anzalone when No. 34 plays and in Anzalone’s spot when the veteran didn’t participate in OTAs. The Lions are clearly grooming him for a full-time starting role in his second season after an up-and-down rookie campaign.

Derrick Barnes started with Anzalone last year, and he could still get starting reps as an off-ball LB. However, Barnes has been doing more of the SAM role this spring. In Detroit’s defense, that’s much more of a pass-rush role than a more reactionary and coverage role than Barnes has played. This is closer to the role he played collegiately at Purdue before morphing into an off-ball LB his first three seasons in Detroit.

This move could have a couple of root causes, both of which can be true but also coincidental.

Campbell could be ready for a bigger role and/or (likely both) the Lions are seeing how much more he can do in his second season. Barnes was also an adept pass rusher in college, and that could be a reflection that the team sees a bigger overall need for the defense than off-ball LB depth. That would keep an experienced Barnes on the field in more situations if some of the edge rushers (Marcus Davenport, James Houston, Mitchell Agude, Josh Paschal, Mathieu Betts) aren’t bringing the heat as well as hoped.

Reserves

Malcolm Rodriguez jumps right into the inside backer role in drills with the second-team defense. He has his limitations in range and coverage, but the fan favorite “Rodrigo” is a very good smart defender and good open-field tackler. He can be one of the best reserve backers in the league, and Rodriguez also proved he can capably fill in as the team’s fullback last season too.

Jalen Reeves-Maybin is primarily known for his special teams play, but the veteran proved he could handle business as a defensive reserve, too. His speed in the open field and quick reactions worked in coverage packages, and that could continue more in 2024. Reeves-Maybin and Rodriguez are omnipresent on special teams units, where Reeves-Maybin served as a captain and Rodriguez played extensively. That will continue in 2024 with the new kickoff rules.

Competing

Any remaining roster space at LB figures to be devoted exclusively to special teams. It’s the role Anthony Pittman played in Detroit for the last few seasons. Pittman is now with the Washington Commanders.

This is where Niemann fits in. He’s got over 80 NFL games under his belt, including 21 starts across six seasons. Fans of the Chiefs and Cardinals will opine that Niemann was much more capable on special teams than in actually playing linebacker. He did not have a defensive snap with the Broncos last season.

With Chambers now gone, the only other true off-ball LB on the roster is undrafted rookie DaRon Gilbert, a 218-pound Northern Illinois product who essentially played the same college role that Lions slot DB Brian Branch did at Alabama.

Hawkeye Pipeline: Cooper DeJean joins Jack Campbell and Sam LaPorta in NFL mock draft

Could Cooper DeJean be another Iowa product headed to the Motor City? A recent mock calls for a reunion with two former Iowa Hawkeyes.

There is something in the water with the Iowa Hawkeyes and the NFL Draft. A growing trend is popping up and that is the pipeline of the Hawkeyes to certain teams in the NFL.

Teams are drafting Hawkeyes and often doing so in multiples with success usually following pretty soon thereafter. The Detroit Lions did this last year. They took Jack Campbell in the first round and snagged Sam LaPorta in the second round.

Campbell gave the Lions a steadying presence at linebacker with 95 total tackles and two sacks. LaPorta thrust himself into the upper echelon of tight ends right away hauling in 86 receptions for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns.

CBS Sports recent mock draft thinks that the Lions and head coach Dan Campbell may go back to the well again. They have mocked Cooper DeJean to the Detroit Lions with the No. 29 pick in the first round of next week’s draft.

Round 1 – Pick 29 – Detroit Lions: Cooper DeJean, Iowa

More teams have DeJean as a safety/nickel than cornerback/nickel. For Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, DeJean can play in a number of different spots. – Jonathan Jones, CBS Sports

Could DeJean slide all the way to No. 29? That seems unlikely but weirder things have happened in the NFL Draft. Should he hit that point, the Lions could bolster their secondary and, with a move to safety, instantly upgrade their safety duo to one of the best in the league.

Cooper DeJean would be slotted alongside fellow Big Ten star, Kerby Joseph manning the back end of the Lions’ defense giving them two stars at safety. Joseph had four interceptions last season which would pair ideally next to DeJean’s ball-hawking ability.

Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions.

Follow Riley on X: @rileydonald7